Review of "Josefina the Whale": A moving story and beautiful visuals

"Josefina the Whale": A touching story of adventure with a dear friend

The TV anime series "Josefina the Whale," which aired in 1979, was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and based on a fairy tale by Josemaría Sánchez Silva. This anime is still loved by many fans today as a touching story about the emotional growth and friendship of children. Below, we will introduce detailed information about this work and its appeal.

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Broadcast period

April 1979

■Broadcasting station

Tokyo 12 Channel Broadcasting

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 24

■Original Story

Original story by Josemaría Sánchez Silva (translated by Keiko Ezaki, from "Goodbye Josefina" published by Gakken)

■ Director

・Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

■ Production

・Cooperation: Japan-Spain Association ・Production: Tokyo 12 Channel, Ashi Productions

■Works

©PRODUCTION REED 1979

■ Story

The main character, Santi, is given less attention by his parents after his sister is born. The lonely Santi's best friend is Josefina, a mysterious whale who lives in a cup. Every child has a "treasure in the heart," a "friend in the heart," and in Santi's case, this appears as a whale. As Santi shouts "Grow big, whale," Josefina grows up, soars through the air, and takes him into a world of mysterious adventures. This is a heartwarming story about the main character, who has many dreams and hopes, and grows up along the way.

■Cast

・Santi/Naomi Jinbo ・Josefina/Kazue Takahashi ・Rafael/Takashi Tanaka ・Maria, narration/Toshiko Sawada ・Rosa/Tomiko Suzuki ・Shura/Yoshiko Matsuo ・Melchuur/Kunihiko Kitagawa

■ Main staff

Original story by Josemaría Sánchez Silva (translated by Keiko Ezaki, from "Goodbye Josefina" published by Gakken)
・Planning/Toshihiko Sato・Screenplay/Yamamoto Masaru・Director/Kunihiko Yuyama・Character design/Kazuo Tomizawa・Animation director/Tasuku Tanaka・Art director/Geki Katsumata・Color setting/Minoru Mukai・Sound director/Nobuhiro Komatsu・Director of photography/Nobuyuki Sugaya・Editor/Toshio Henmi・Music/Tsuguhiro Kono・Producer/Takayuki Yanagisawa (Tokyo 12 Channel), Yoshiaki Aihara, Hiroshi Kato (Ashi Productions)
・Cooperation: Japan-Spain Association ・Production: Tokyo 12 Channel, Ashi Productions

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Secret in the CupEpisode 2: Mysterious Sea JourneyEpisode 3: My Own Deserted IslandEpisode 4: Adventure in the Ghost TownEpisode 5: Hello, JapanEpisode 6: I Hate SchoolEpisode 7: Sinbad the WarmerEpisode 8: My First SchoolEpisode 9: I Became a Stranger's KidEpisode 10: I Met GodEpisode 11: Who is Kindness forEpisode 12: I'll Never Eat FishEpisode 13: Treasure Star, Secret StarEpisode 14: Knight of EscorialEpisode 15: The Stork that Came to the ClassroomEpisode 16: My Wonderful GirlEpisode 17: It's a Big Disaster! There's a Forest Fire!
・Episode 18 / Great Adventure in Heaven ・Episode 19 / Catch the Bandits ・Episode 20 / Battle in the Arctic Ocean ・Episode 21 / The Great Demon King of the Fearful Sea ・Episode 22 / Defeat the Demon King of the Desert ・Episode 23 / Goodbye Josephine Part 1 ・Episode 24 / Goodbye Josephine Part 2

Appeal and evaluation of "Josefina the Whale"

"Josefina the Whale" is a work that depicts the emotional growth and friendship of children, and its appeal is wide-ranging. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of the work.

1. A heartwarming story

The main character, Santi, feels lonely because he no longer feels the love of his parents after his little sister is born. However, Josefina, a mysterious whale who lives in a cup, fills that void. Josefina grows as Santi cries out "Grow big, whale!", and the two set off on a mysterious adventure. This story teaches us the importance of the "treasures of the heart" and "friends of the heart" that children have. The story also depicts Santi's growth, leaving viewers in awe.

2. Beautiful character designs and drawings

The beautiful designs by character designer Kazuo Tomizawa and the careful drawings by animation director Tamotsu Tanaka enhance the appeal of this work. In particular, Josefina's adorable design and her dynamic movements in the adventure scenes are visually delightful. Additionally, the backgrounds by art director Geki Katsumata also enrich the worldview of the story.

3. Inspiring Music

The beautiful melodies of the music by Tsuyoshi Kono play a role in further deepening the moving story. In particular, the theme song and insert songs resonate with the viewers' hearts and liven up the atmosphere of the work. In addition, the sound effects by the sound director Nobuhiro Komatsu and the performances of the voice actors also enhance the realism of the story.

4. Message to children

This work teaches children the importance of having a "soulmate" and the importance of having dreams and hopes. As Santi and Josefina go on adventures, they learn about friendship, courage, and the joy of growing up, which teaches children many lessons. The various themes depicted in each episode will also enrich children's hearts.

5. Recognition and Awards

"Josefina the Whale" has been highly praised since it was first broadcast, and has been loved by many viewers. In particular, it has won numerous awards for its heartwarming story and beautiful drawings as a children's anime. It is still highly popular among fans, and there are many requests for a remake or re-broadcast.

Episode details of "Josefina the Whale"

Below we'll give you more details about each episode. Each episode explores a different theme through the adventures of Santee and Josefina.

Episode 1: The Secret in the Cup

Santi feels lonely after his little sister is born. Meanwhile, he meets Josefina, a mysterious whale who lives in a cup. Josefina grows as Santi shouts "Grow big, whale!", and the two set off on a world of adventure. This episode depicts the beginning of friendship and the joys of adventure.

Episode 2: Mysterious Sea Journey

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure into the underwater world, where they encounter sea creatures and have various experiences. This episode depicts the beauty of nature and the joy of adventure.

Episode 3: My own deserted island

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to a deserted island where they create their own paradise. This episode depicts the joys of freedom and creativity.

Episode 4: Adventure in the Ghost Town

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to a ghost town, where they make friends with ghosts and have various experiences. This episode depicts friendship and courage.

Episode 5: Hello Japan

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to Japan, where they experience Japanese culture and scenery. This episode depicts the joy of intercultural understanding and adventure.

Episode 6: I Hate School

Santi hates going to school. But he and Josefina go on an adventure to school together. There, they discover the joys of school. This episode portrays the importance of education and friendship.

Episode 7: Sinbad the Warmer

Santi catches a cold. He goes on an adventure with Josefina. The two of them go on an adventure to cure the cold. This episode depicts the importance of health and friendship.

Episode 8: First School

Santi goes to school for the first time. He and Josefina go on an adventure to school together, where they discover the joys of school. This episode portrays the importance of education and friendship.

Episode 9: I've Become Someone Else's Child

Santi is staying at a friend's house. Meanwhile, she and Josefina go on an adventure to the friend's house. There, they reaffirm the importance of friendship. This episode depicts the bond between friendship and family.

Episode 10: I Met God

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to meet God, who teaches them many lessons. This episode is about faith and friendship.

Episode 11: Who is Kindness for?

Through their acts of kindness, Santi and Josefina go on an adventure where they learn the meaning of kindness. This episode is about morality and friendship.

Episode 12: I'll never eat fish

Santi hates fish. However, he and Josefina go on an adventure to eat fish. There, they discover the deliciousness of fish. This episode depicts the joy of food and friendship.

Episode 13: Treasure Star, Secret Star

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to find treasure. They discover various treasures. This episode depicts the fun of adventure and friendship.

Episode 14: The Knights of Escorial

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to meet the knights of the Escorial, where they learn about the courage and friendship of knights. This episode is about courage and friendship.

Episode 15: The Stork that Came to the Classroom

Santee and Josefina go on an adventure when a stork visits their classroom, teaching them different lessons along the way. This episode portrays the importance of education and friendship.

Episode 16: My Wonderful Girl

Santi goes on an adventure to meet the girl he likes. During this adventure, he goes to meet the girl with Josefina. There, they learn the difference between friendship and love. This episode depicts friendship and love.

Episode 17: It's a disaster! There's a forest fire!

Santee and Josefina go on an adventure to the scene of a forest fire, where they embark on an adventure to put it out. This episode is about courage and friendship.

Episode 18: Heaven's Great Adventure

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to heaven, where they learn about the beauty of heaven and friendship. This episode is about faith and friendship.

Episode 19: Catch the Bandit

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to catch the bandits. They learn the courage it takes to catch them. This episode shows courage and friendship.

Episode 20: Battle in the Arctic Ocean

Santee and Josefina go on an adventure to the Arctic Ocean, where they learn about the harshness of the Arctic Ocean and about friendship. This episode depicts the harshness of nature and friendship.

Episode 21: The Fearsome Sea Demon King

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to challenge the Great Sea Devil. There, they learn the courage required to defeat the Great Sea Devil. This episode depicts courage and friendship.

Episode 22: Defeat the Demon King of Desert

Santi and Josefina go on an adventure to challenge the Demon King of the Desert. There, they learn the courage it takes to defeat the Demon King. This episode depicts courage and friendship.

Episode 23: Goodbye Josephine, Part 1

When Santi has to say goodbye to Josefina, the two go on a final adventure together. This episode depicts the strength of friendship and the sadness of separation.

Episode 24: Goodbye Josephine, Part 2

Santi and Josefina have finished their final adventure and it is time to say goodbye. This episode depicts the depth of friendship and the joy of growth. Santi learns and grows a lot through his adventure with Josefina.

Recommendations and how to watch "Josefina the Whale"

"Josefina the Whale" is a moving work that teaches children the importance of "soul friends" and the importance of having dreams and hopes. In particular, as a children's anime, it has been praised for its heartwarming story and beautiful drawings, and is loved by many viewers. It is still highly popular among fans today, and there are many requests for a remake and re-broadcast.

There are several ways to watch this film:

1. Buying DVDs and Blu-rays

The DVD and Blu-ray of "Josefina the Whale" can be purchased from many online stores. In particular, due to the strong support from fans, many limited editions and products with bonuses are also sold.

2. Use of streaming services

You can watch "Josefina the Whale" on some streaming services. In particular, services with a wide selection of children's animations also carry this work. When watching, please check the contract and fees for each service.

3. Check for reruns

"Josefina the Whale" is still sometimes rebroadcast. It is often broadcast in specials on children's anime or nostalgic works. Information on rebroadcasts can be found on the official websites and social media of each broadcasting station.

Conclusion

"Josefina the Whale" is a moving work that depicts the emotional growth and friendship of children, and its appeal is wide-ranging. Many elements will move viewers, including the heartwarming story, beautiful character design and animation, moving music, and messages for children. In addition, the various themes depicted in each episode will enrich children's hearts. By watching this work, children can learn the importance of "soul friends" and the importance of having dreams and hopes. Please be sure to watch this moving work.